Lighting-fixture.



E. M. SMITH.

LIGHTING FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1916 1,230,046. PatentedJune 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

'E. M. SMITH. LIGHTING FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II. 1916- 1230046. PatentedJune12,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ESMOND M. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LIGHTING-FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented June 12,191 7.

Application filed February -11, 1916. Serial No. 77,636.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ESMOND M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chica 0, Cook county,;Illinois, have invente .certain new and useful Improvements in Lighting-Fixtures, of which .the

' following is a specification.

The present invention has to do with improvements in lighting fixtures. The fea tures of the invention are verywell adapted for use in connection with lighting fixtures for indoor service, but it will presently appear that certain of the features of construction herein disclosed may also be very conveniently used in the construction of fixtures intended for outdoor service. Moreover, the-features of the present invention are'very well adapted for use in connection with incandescent electric light bulbs, but said features are by no means limited to use in connection with this kind of lighting element.

One of the objects of the-present invention is to provide such a construction of fixture that the illumination thrown downwardly by it will be very uniformly distributed over the entire area which the fixture is intended to illuminate. Another object in this connection is to so construct the fixture that an increased percentage of the total light radiant from the lighting element may be delivered in a downward direction and distributed in the desired manner over the surface which it is sought to illuminate, Most forms of light emitting elements throw a portion of their illumination upwardly and in order to make said portion available for the illumination of objects beneath the lighting. unit, said portion of light must be diverted downward. One of the objects of the invention is to provide for the uniform distribution of this portion of the light after the same has been diverted downward, so that substantially all of the light radiated by the illuminating element will be uniformly distributed.

Where a closed type of lobe is used for the inclosure of the lighting element, the illumination from said element must pass through said globe. Therefore, that portion of the illumination which is to be'diverted downwardly must first pass through the upper-part of'the globe. One of the features of the present invention has reference to the construction of the upper part of the globe s0 asto bring the same into such form as will most readily transmit the illumination tothe light diverting or defiecting means. i

Other objects of the invention have to do with the mechanical construction of the holder, so as to simplify and cheapen the cost of construction as well as to improve its operation in ordinary service.

Other objects of the invention will appear from a detailed description .of the same, which consists of the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of an assembled lighting unit embodying the features of the present invention, a portion of the shade being broken away so as to better reveal the form and construction of the upper portion of the globe;

Fig. 2 shows a vertical section through the upper portion of the structure in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 being on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 shows a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary detail of a modified form of support for the globe; and

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the expansible ring illustrated in Fig. 4.-

Referring to the constructions shown in the several figures I have therein illustrated a holder 6, globe 7, shade 8, and lighting element 9. The holder 6 is illustrated as comprising a cap member 10, a ring 11, and a socket 12. The .cap is provided with an annular flange 13, and a plurality of downwardly projecting lugs 14, between which are the ventilating spaces 15, best shown inw Fig. 2. The ring 11 has an inturned flange 16 which seats up against the lower facesof the lugs 14 and is suitably attached to said lugs as by means of the screws 17. The socket 12 is secured within the cap 10 in any desired manner and said socket preferably terminates in a plane adjacent to the plane of the lugs 14. The ring 11 is provided with a downwardly depending flange 18. The lighting element 9 is conveniently constructed with an elongated neck or the like 19 which reaches from the socket down to a point adjacent to the plane of the lower edge of the flange 18, at which point the enlargement of the lighting element commences.

The lower portion 20 of the globe is shown as beingformed substantially on the surface of a sphere. The upper edge 21 of the spherical portion 20 preferably lies approximately within a plane. The upper portion 22 of the globe is formed on a reversed curvature from the low-er portion 20, so that the rays of light which are thrown upwardly from the lighting element may most readily pass through the upper portion of the globe.

It" will be noted, that, on account of the downward and outward curvature of the shade 8, and the upward and inward curvature of the top of the globe 7, aconsiderable space will be provided between these elements. This construction is especially advantageous, since it greatly facilitates the necessary cleaning operation.

Dust will eventually settle upon the inclined surface 22 of the globe, and will also be de posited, though to a less extent, upon the lower surface of the shade. The insertion of the dusting or cleaning implement betweenthe portions 8 and 22 will permit the dust to be removed from both portions by the same operation. Since the upper portion of the globe is transparent it will be readily understood that'the elimination of the accumulated dust is very essential. The extreme upper edge of the globe is provided with the annular recessed portion- 23, by

which the globe is supported.

- Those rays of light passing upward through the globe strike the shade 8, the lower edge 24.-'of said shade lying substantially within the aforementioned plane. The, shade may be formed in any desired shape depending upon the disposition which it is sought to make of the rays which are thrown upward. If said rays are to be totally reflected, then the shade may be of metal or other opaque substance having its under surface suitablytreated for-the reflection of the light, and furthermore, under such conditions the shade may be made of any desired shape, depending upon the direction in which itis desired to reflect the light. On the other hand, if the shade be made of translucent material, then the rays passing upward through theupper portion of the globe-will be diflusedby the diffusing the lower portion of the globe may be made translucent so as to diffuse the light passing through it. Such a quality of globe is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, ,Whereinit will be observed that the lower portion of the lighting element is indicated by means of dotted hn'es, whereas the upper portion of said element islindicated by means of full lines. In the particular arrangement shown in the drawings the upper portion 22 of the of suflicient diameter to pass the lighting element so that the parts may be properly assembled. The shade'must be of sufiicien't size to encircle the upper portion of the globe, and consequently there is a consider able surface above the lighting element wherein the shade 8 is ineffective to receive and transmit light. Therefore, I have illustrated a supplemental reflector 24 within the upper portion'of the globe and immediately above the enlarged portion of the lighting element,, This supplemental reflector surrounds the neck of the lighting element over which it maybe readily passed, and practically fills the space wherein the shade 8 is ineffective. on account of the direction in which the rays strike the reflector 24, said reflector may be conveniently' made in the form shown in Fig. 2, so as to properly transmit the light.

The supplemental ,reflector 24 is "conveniently supported by means of a. pair of clip arms 25 and 26, the upper ends of which are securely supported in a rigid manner, and thelower ends'27 of which are provided with clips or the like which engage the perforations in the supplemental reflector so as to support said reflector. 'When the reflector is to be disengaged the clips 25 and 26 may be sprung toward each other a reflector.

The'globe and shade are conveniently supported from the-"annular flange .18 of the ring 11. As a convenient means of effecting such support I have shown the set screws 28 engaging a. flange 29 on the upper edge of the shade, and have shown the set. screws 30 engagingthe flange 23 on the upper edge of the globe. The set screws 28 lie in a diflerent plane from the set screws 30, so that the parts may be independently supported when such construction is desired. On the other hand, in Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified construction in which the shade and globe are both supported by a single set of screws. These are the screws 28 which directly support the shade. Interposed between th flange 23 of the globe and the upper edge of the shade is a cushion gasket or' the like 31 of suflicient size to lowing that portion of the light which is.

thrown upwardly from the lighting element to be directly transmitted through the globe; and I desire also to point out that this result may be accomplished withthe use of a globe which extends throughout substantially the entire height of the lighting ele- -ment and whichglobe practically incloses the same.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described the combination with a cap, of a socket secured within the same, a ring mounted on the lower portion of the cap, said ring being provided with a downwardly depending flange, a lighting element'connected into the socket, a glob surroundingthe'lighting element and having its upper portion connected to the flange, the lower portion of said globe being formed substantially on the surface of a sphere the center whereof lies within the lighting element, and the upper portion of th globe being formed on a reversed curve having its line of junction with the aforementioned sphere lying substantially in a plane which passes through the lighting element, a shade surrounding the upper portion of the globe, a suitable connection between the shade and flange, a

supplemental reflector above the lighting element and within the globe, and means for securing said supplemental reflector in such position, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a suitable supporting fixture, of a socket within said fixture, a lighting element connected into the socket, a

globe surrounding the, lighting element,

the lower portion of said globebeing formed substantially on the surface of a sphere, the center whereof lies within the lighting element, and the upper portion of the globe being formed on a'reversed curve, and having a line of junction with the lower portion of the globe lying substantially in a plane passing through the lighting element, a shade surrounding the upper portion of the globe and suitably connected to the supporting fixture, a supplemental reflector mounted above the lighting element and within the globe, and means for supporting the sup plemental reflector in such position, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with a suitable supporting fixture, of a lighting element suitably connected to the same, a globe connected to the supportin fixture and having its lower portion forme substantially on the surface of .a sphere, the center whereof lies within the lighting element, the upper portlon of the globe being formed on a reversed curve and having a line of junction wlth the lower portion of the globe lying substantlally in a plane passing through the lighting element, the loweraportion of the globe having the property of diffusing light wh ch passes through it, and the upper portlon of the globe being clear to transmit direct light, a shade above the upper portion of the globe mounted in position to deflect transmitted light passing through the upper portion of the globe, and a supplemental reflector above the lighting element and within the upper portion of the globe, substantially as described. 1

4. In a suspended lighting unit the combination with a suitable supporting fixture, of a lighting element within the same, a globe suspended from the fixture and surrounding the lighting element and removable there-- .from and having its lower portion formed substantially on the surface of a hemisphere, the upper portion of the globe being formed on a reversed curve, the lower portion of the globe having the property of-diflusing light which passes through it, and the upper por-.

tion of the globe being clear,a shade surrounding the-upper portion of the globe and mounted in position to deflect light passing through the upper portion ofthe globe, and a supplemental reflector above the lighting element and within the upper portion of the globe, substantially as described.

5. In a suspended lighting unit, the combination. with a suitable supporting fixture of a lighting element within the same, an

integral globe suspended from the, fixture and surrounding said lighting element, said globe having an opening in its upper portion of size suitable to permit the removal of the globe from the lighting element, the

lower portion of the globe curving downwardly and inwardly and the upper portion of the globe curving upwardly and inwardly on a reversed curve, the lower portion of the globe having the property of diflusing light which passes through the same, and the upper portion of the globe being clear, and a shade surrounding the upper portion of the globe and adapted to deflect light which passes through said upper portion, there being-an annular opening between the periphery of the shade and the surface of the globe for the passage of light rays, substantially as described.

6. In a suspended lighting unit, the comstantially as described.

7. In a fixture of the class. described, a single-piece globe, the lower portion whereof is substantially semispherical and provided with a'surface adapted to reflect the rays of light upwardly, while the upper portion is disposed within the vertical? planes of the sides of the lowerportion and is substantially bell-shape and made of transparent material to permit passage of direct rays of light, said upper portion being formed with a double ogee curvature whereby a reflector, receiving portion and an attaching rim are provided at the upper end thereof.

8. In a lighting fixture of the class described, -a globe providedwith a concavo convex bottom having an inner light-reflecting surface and an upper transparent portion disposed between the vertical planes of the sides of the bottom and having an ogee curvature, with the inwardly curved portion thereof located immediately adjacent theconcavo-convex bottom, said upper portion terminating in an attaching rim.

9, A lighting fixture of the class, described, comprising a cap adapted to receive an attaching element, an electric lamp-socket sev cured within said cap, a globe and reflectorholder mounted beneath the cap,th cap and said holder having an intervening airspace, with means on the cap to prevent the escape of direct rays of light through said air a space, resilient means suspended within the globe and reflector-holder, a supplemental reflector secured to the lower end of said means and adapted to encircle the upper part .of the-lamp, -a globe provided with a concavo-convex bottom, and an upper portion having walls curved inwardly toward the lighting element of the lamp, means for removably securing said globe to its supporting member, and a reflector also removably secured to said globe-support and surrounding the upper portion of said globe, the relationv between the globe, lamp and two reflectors being such that a shadowless lighting unit is provided.

10. A lighting fixture, comprising a cap, an electric lamp-socket secured in said cap, a globe and reflector-holder suspendedbeneathrsaid cap and'providing air-passages naeopae between the cap and said holder, with means on the cap to preventthe escape of direct rays of light through said air-passages, a single-piece globe suspended from said holder and provided with a bottom curved outwardly and adapted to reflectthe rays of light upwardly and provided with an u per clear glass portion curved inward y toward the lamp so as to refra'ct the rays of light, said globe being removably suspended from said holder, and a reflector of translucent material also removably supported in said holder and surrounding the upper clear glass portion of said globe.

11. A lighting fixture, comprising a cap incasing a lamp-holder, an electric lamp suspended from said holder, a reflector and globe-holder suspended beneath the cap and having intervening air spaces and means to prevent the escape of direct rays of light through said air spaces, an interior reflector adapted to surround the lamp, means adapted to hold said globe and reflector-holder, and said'interior reflector in place, a globe removablysecured to "said globe-holder, having an outwardly curved bottom adapted to reflect and diffuse the rays of light and provided with inwardly curved side walls of clear transparent material terminating in an open top, and an outer reflector also removably secured to said globe-holder and surroundin the clear transparent side walls of said glo e.

12. A lighting fixture comprising a cap arranged to receive a lamp-socket or holder, a globe and reflector holder suspended beneath the cap, intervening air spaces and means on said cap to prevent the escape of direct rays of light through said air spaces, an inner reflector having concaved sidesof increasing circumference toward the top, means for'suspending said reflector from the cap, a globe having an outwardly curved translucent bottom adapted to reflect and difluse the rays of light and provided with inwardly curved clear transparent sidesterminating in an open flanged top to permit the globe to be removably secured in said holder, and an outer reflector also removably secured in said holder and arranged about the clear transparent side walls of the globe, the upper ends of the inner and outer reflectors being substantially alined.

13. A fixture of the class described, comprising a cap arranged to receive a lampsocket or holder and provide passage for the electric wires leading to the holder, a globe and reflector holder suspended beneath saidcap with intervening air-passages and in such relation as to prevent the escape of rays of light through said air-passages, an inner reflector having concaved sides of increasing circumference toward the top, resilient means for suspending said inner reflector from the cap, a globe having a 0 closed translucent fbott'om provided with an air inlet disposed at the vertical axis of the fixture andprovided with upper converging clear transparent; side walls arranged to provide an open top, means for removably securing said globe to said globe and reflector holder, a main reflector of translucent material also removably secured to said holder and surrounding the clear side walls of said globe, and a lighting element suspended in said globe, the lighting element, globe and reflectors being so correlated as to diffuse and reflect the rays of light without permitting escape of direct rays from the lighting element and providing a shadowless lighting unit.

14. A lighting fixture, comprising a cap arranged to i ncase a lamp-holder, an electric lamp mounted in said holder, a globe and reflector holder suspended beneath the cap with intervening air passages and in such relation therewith as to prevent the escape of direct rays of light through said air-passages, an inner reflector arranged about said lamp and adapted to reflect the light rays downwardly and outwardly, means having yielding relation with the to of said reflector whereby the latter is suspended from the cap, a globe having a closed curved bottom provided with a. central air inlet, and upwardly converging curved side walls terminating in an open top and arranged to be removably secured in said globe and reflector holder, the side walls of said globe being clear and transparent while the bottom is translucent, the relation between the globe and the lamp being such that the lighting element of the lamp will be disposed Within the globe at a point beneath the clear side walls'thereof, and an outer reflector also removably secured to said globe and reflector holder and arranged about the clear side walls of said globe.

v ESMOND M. SMITH.

Witnesses FRANCES M. FRos'r, THOMAS A. BANNING, Jr. 

